Rape, being such a terrible social vice every society wants to eradicate, it is seemingly encouraged in certain areas and under certain circumstances. The term corrective rape is used to describe the forceful sexual intercourse had with members of the LGBTI especially lesbians in quest to turn them straight or to ‘correct’ them. This was first recorded in South Africa where rape as well as corrective rape is highly prevalent.

It is expected that corrective rape like every other rape case is hugely frowned upon but in many cases of corrective rape, the idea is supported by the broader community; women groups,youth groups, the police and the justice systems. You can imagine how alone these girls feel. Whom do they turn to for help? They are raped mercilessly and it goes unreported. These girls are left at the mercy of a society that is suppose to protect and love them as part of it but they’re rather hurt by it.

In Ghana and in many parts of Africa, homosexual acts are criminal. Many human rights activists in Africa are not asking for a change in the law or a change in the faith or beliefs of some Africans. Many are just asking for just one thing, “Treat all HUMANS like HUMANS” We are asking that the fundamental human rights of people are protected no matter their political affiliations, financial status, religion or sexual orientation. No religion supports rape, no religion supports abuse; so how people make evil things like these right baffles me. I don’t know how some religious leaders who seemingly ignite and encourage these thoughts are able to allow their consciences lie while they watch these things happen. You can also watch the video of the week on my homepage to see what I mean.

How do we leave these young girls at the mercy of these dark minded men and boys to commit such atrocities. How do we leave these girls alone! How does a society keep quiet about this? If she were your sister what would you do? We need to do something! We need to shout! We need to scream! We need to make this stop pleeaase! Please share this!

A Zambian student in china has been killed by chinese Nationals for dating a Chinese woman.

Chrispine Mwale 25 a student studying Civil engineering in that country was beaten to death on Monday mid_Morning after he was found in a woman’s apartment.

It is said that Mr. Mwale spent a night at her girlfriends place after clubing on a Sunday night.

Four Chinese nationals approached the Apartment and dragged Mr. Mwale out of the Apartment and started beating him with iron bars and stones until his final breath.

According to an eye witness and a close friend to Mr. Mwale has informed Zambian Watch that despite him pleading, Chinese men insulted him.

“We went out drinking on a Sunday night as a group. After our drinks we got on a taxi heading to our apartment. On the way Mr. Mwale’s girlfriend said she wanted to spend a night with him. That’s how they left and I was only called by the girlfriend in the morning to come and save my friend” he stated.

“I rushed to the scene and only found four Chinese men beating and insulting him that their is no black man allowed to date their people. They insulted him that Africa was too poor and they would not allow black beings to be raised in their country. Despite pleading, they hit him with iron bars and stones until his final breath ” a friend said.
#AIIH News

This breaks my heart so much. What does love have to do with race? If you look into the eyes of another man and judge him based on his skin color and not see that he is human with a heart throbbing in his chest as you, then I call you BLIND!

Below is the video of the assault; it may be gruesome and hard to watch…you are advised.

This viral video maybe very disturbing; has sexual, nudity and violent content. It may not be suitable for your viewing; you are cordially advised. A story we had during our male sexual abuse episode. A young man who raped a little girl but was let free roaming the streets without justice, this forced young men in the neighborhood to take the law in their own hands to pay the young man in his own coin. I cannot begin to criticize what’s wrong with this…ALOT is wrong with this. This video is very upsetting. No form of rape for whatever motive is justifiable!

Do you think it was right for them to do this to him as vengeance?

Statistics tells us that more than 90% of male adults have masturbated at one point in their lives and over 67-75% masturbate for the rest of their lives. With females, 92% of them masturbate. It is also found out that, most people start masturbating between the ages 9-14 years of age. Those are the early years even though some definitely started earlier than that.

In previous posts where I addressed masturbation, I spoke about it being addictive and how to break free from the addiction. But in this post, we are going to delve into the “why nots of masturbation” and give you a little experience from my life. Yes, I will.

With the statistics stated above, it is surprising…in fact shocking how much I grew up in my community or society without hearing people talk about it. Not even amongst my friends…for most of you, you’d say, “Then that’s a weird bunch of friends you had”. Well, yes…we were. At least, a lot of people thought that of us; we were Christian knitted. The only times I heard about masturbation growing up were in church and school. In church we heard the pastor and our leaders say, “Masturbation is evil!” In school we heard something a bit different as one would expect because it is school and they had to delve deeper into sex education but NO! The teachers turned pastors too and said, “Masturbation is evil so stay away from it!” FULL STOP.

I never thought about it neither did I even think it possible for me to do growing up. Besides, nobody practiced it because it was evil, right? Apparently I was wrong. Most of the teachers that said, “It is evil probably beat their meat after school” Well in church, don’t get me started.

I am not saying masturbation should be encouraged neither am I saying it is such a good thing to practice but all I am saying is how much I am praying for a society that will be open enough to speak about our sexuality; something God has designed and embedded beautifully within us. Seeking for a society that will tell us the truth; laying before us the Pros and Cons and thus giving us power and control of our sexual lives.

So back to my story, I never even knew how other boys or girls masturbated….didn’t research it, never heard anybody speak about it. Of course I knew they must self-stimulate but the answer to how they self-stimulated, I was freaking ignorant about it. I thought it weird and impossible to arouse your own self. In fact, there were many times I insulted and made fun of the idea of masturbation while others were around whom now looking back, must have been masturbating because of how awfully quiet they were whenever I brought up the subject and laughed; insulting the idea and everybody that practiced it. Just like a lot of people will laugh and insult kleptomaniacs, promiscuity, people living with HIV/AIDS, you know like that. Simply because they do not understand their individual stories and experiences neither can they relate. Should this continue to be our reality?

So in the Second year of University, I came in contact with Tuffour; a youth president in his church. He told me something weird I had never heard before. He said to me, “Richard, do you know that masturbation is not a sin?” HAHAHA! I lost it! You should have seen me…you can imagine my reaction to that, right? I was all over the place! Something I had been told all my life that it is wrong, “How can you say it is not wrong?!!” I vehemently spoke against the idea he had about masturbation…VEHEMENTLY. Then he said to me, “I will show you something when we go back to class.” “I don’t want to see anything!” I responded stupidly. I am qualifying it as ‘stupid’ today because of the saying by Dr. Wayne Dyer that says, “The ultimate ignorance is not knowing something and refusing to investigate” So yes, I was stupid. Are you being the same way about everything you deem not right today?

So I went back to class and sat down; feeling holy and mighty for expressing my holy Christian values without ‘compromise’. Indeed, I felt high and mighty because I was loudest among all the Christians that later joined me to attack this other Christian because they may have all probably had an experience but I never had any experience with it whatsoever. Is the feeling of being better the reason why you attack others you deem immoral?

Before lectures started, he placed his laptop right in front of me and before I could walk away, he played a video of one of my favorite ministers of the gospel. He was having an open forum receiving messages from around the world. I paused to watch it because I loved and respected that preacher man so much. So I smiled and said in my heart, “Much better…” As I watched, this minister received a message from a Ghanaian who asked the pastor to pray for him because he was addicted to masturbation. Then I heard this man say something I had never EVER heard before in my entire life….it was unbelievable! I felt like the video has literally been tampered with. But it was too real to deny. He actually said these words, “Masturbation is not a sin” I was mind blown!

“He is not God!”, I said to my co-league. “People have their notions, I said. “But God’s will always stand!” I retorted. Then he asked me, “How do you know it’s God’s will?” “From his word of course” I replied. “Then which part in the bible tells us that masturbation is wrong?” Then I was literally blank. I had no idea why I never questioned anything I was ever told or even read further from the bible. Are you a religious zombie too?

So for the first time, when I went home I begun to research masturbation because as a youth leader too, I needed to know the truth. I searched and searched and there was no scripture to back what I have believed for so many years.

This however, did not change the fact that I believed masturbation had the potential to hugely affect a man negatively and draw him away from God. This is because, masturbation or self-pleasure is not a mere rubbing down of the genitals, but it also constitutes other activities with imaginations (lust) or pornography. This affects man spiritually and psychologically which I have expatiated in this post.

But this experience changed a lot of things about me and my way of thinking; giving a listening ear and being present in people’s situations and struggles. For many, it is the only way they know to stay away from promiscuity, unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. For a lot of people, it is the best remedy. These were things I never thought about simply because I couldn’t see that for myself. Just like Jesus Christ, we do not have to judge people but we should empathize with their weaknesses. Just as Christ, we should show unconditional love without compromising our beliefs and standing in the Lord. One thing Christians do not realize is that, loving a ‘sinner’ does not mean you compromise your values or beliefs. It is just following the footsteps of the one you truly love; Jesus Christ. It is a thought that the Pharisees (hypocrites) had, that sent Jesus to the cross. They thought of him as a sinner because he was always found with them and showed sinners empathy and love. I choose to be Christian, not a Pharisee.

“I am a Christian and that’s why I know that it is not my job to hate or judge BUT the only job I have is to love and empathize. “

As it is said, a journey of thousand miles begins with a step. After close to 4 years of fighting and speaking for Africa through my blog (richardsiaw.com), I have actually taken the first step to making this a reality.

As C.E.O of Host Gold Company Limited, a web service company and also a blogger, I have come to experience the unlimited monetary possibilities of the internet. Almost stumbling upon my first $5,000 in my 3rd year of blogging motivated me to start a business and to help young people in Ghana, West Africa to pursue online entrepreneurship. I believe without a shadow of doubt that Ghana, a developed country can also make strides in the world of online entrepreneurship.

Visiting schools and holding seminars around the nation and teaching young people amazing and interesting ways they can make money online has been such a joy to me and most importantly a joy to them.

Starting off as a blogger, I was only driven by passion . But for more than 2 years, I hadn’t made a dime from blogging and this was beginning to bother me because I had completed the university I thought I had to start paying bills or at least pay for my own blog. My amazing sister was the one paying for my blog while I was in school, she believed in my writing and encouraged me even when I didn’t think it was any special. “I had to pay my own bills!”, a thought and that pushed me to find out how.

And oh my God, the process of finding the monetary system that worked for me was a tough experience; there were times where I lost hope and many other times I didn’t want to blog anymore because of the number of mistakes I made and the money I lost. Giving up and going back to what made me start blogging in the first place…passion was when I made my first $50 almost mistakenly. Even though that $50 never reached my Ghanaian account, I was happy about it because I knew that if I corrected my mistakes and went through the same processes, that $50 could turn to millions.

Today, starting a company that is doing well only makes me reminisce on what I could do if I knew about the things I knew now as early as High School. I can’t imagine the possibilities!

We are building clubs in High Schools and Universities in Ghana called Host Gold Social where young people are equipped and given all the tools requisite to become online entrepreneurs in various fields of their choice for FREE.

We are looking forward to a time where we can afford to give 1000’s of students free tuition in these fields of study. It is such an amazing experience to see young people absolutely excited to live their passion and be paid for it through the business ideas we give them. There is more in store for you…

If you want us in your school( High School or the University), you can contact me or send me an email at me@richardsiaw.com.

You can always support us in doing more for these young people in Ghana and Africa by donating to us on HERE

It makes no sense that childless couples in Africa would rather remain childless than be a parent of an adopted child. It’s really sad, because everybody deserves to have a normal family experience including childless couples. The irrational myths in Africa about child adoption is the Robber of this joy that could be experienced by thousands of childless and parentless individuals in Africa.

About two years ago, Jim Kazynski a fan from Germany shared a story about his sister’s adoption of an African child on my blog. I promised to blog about an issue his comment stirred up but I couldn’t blog about it early enough before he passed. He was one of my readers I always looked forward to hearing from. Writing about crazy myths about adoption in Africa reminds me of him. Now, lets move on to the topic, shall we?

It must be surprising for you to know that there are more people adopting children from Africa to other continents than Africans ourselves. Yes, this has been an issue that has been going on so much that it is being discouraged by some child protection agencies around the world. As much as this saddens me, I want to treat the myths Africans have about adopting a child on a lighter note.

What they often say is that I don’t know where the child comes from. I’d probably invite a witch or wizard into my home in a form of a baby. Someone else’s child could be a witch or wizard but yours can’t? What is witch craft? How does a child become a witch or wizard? If you answer these questions and this point still makes sense to you, then…wow!

2. “It’s still not your child.”

Being a parent is not only about having sex and giving offspring. What people refuse to realise is that being a sperm donor or an oven for a child is not all that it takes to be a parent. A parent is someone who is there for a child, loves a child, becomes that parent’ figure in a child’s life. Biology is never as concrete or reasonable to man more than psychology. In other words, at the end of the day, what is genetic or scientific does not matter as much as what is seen, touched or felt.

3. “The child will leave me in pursuit of his real parents”

First of all, you become his parent…his real parents. You are the one who’s there and has been there as a parent. There is nothing like real parents….there can only be biological parents. See, being a parent is more about love and being there for your child and that fear of your child leaving you for his biological parents is nothing to worry about if you come to realise this. You will and will always be that child’s parent no matter how unlikely your child will run off in pursuit of the unknown biological parents.

4. “It’s a waste of investment”

Our social structure has been made up in such a way that children are parent’s investment for the future. “When I’m old, my children will look after me.” This phenomenon threatens the will of African couples to adopt a child with the intention that the adopted children may not feel obliged to take care of them in their old age especially when they find their biological parents. The reality is this, if you are a child’s parent…you are his parent and that cannot change. Unless you weren’t a parent to the child. A biological parent can never take the place of a real(adoptive) parent. Because you are his real parent.

5. “If something happens to the child, I will be in trouble with the child’s family and the law”

This concern makes me laugh a little. You are the child’s legal family if the child is properly or legally adopted. There is no extraordinary trouble existing when your adopted child gets hurt unless you inflicted the injury on the child. The child is yours in the eyes of the law and it should be in your own eyes as well.

6. “I can’t afford to adopt a child”

I find this statement even on the lips of couples that’s been childless and praying for a child for more than a decade. So then you ask yourself, “When they actually have a child, how will they take care of the child?” I don’t get why Africans can be so desperate to add to the population than consider adopting a child that needs love, care and attention.

I believe that it is very beautiful and absolutely feasible that a couple tries adoption while they wait for the blessing of a child of their own. Even if they never have their own, they can always know that they gave life to a child; probably not physically but knowing that the life they gave was more than their children’s biological parents gave them.

Let’s root for child adoption in Africa. Those in orphanages and other children homes deserve the experience of a normal family too.

Hell breaks lose when a man hits a woman but society seems to tell us it is okay when a woman hits a man.
“Don’t raise your hand against a woman” society warns but never says the same thing to an abusive woman. We got to speak up. Let’s discuss!

A movie called ‘Veiled’ , produced and directed by Andy Siaw is set to be released soon. Andy Siaw also played a major role in the movie which made it very tough for him to combine. However, as difficult as it was, we sailed through; he had his big brother here-Hehehe.

I was the production’s manager on this project. You will also see me in there just alittle but in all, it is a great movie and you will definitely love it when it is released.

The whole story line is about a little boy who was sexually abused and grew into adulthood facing the consequences of the abuse. The drama that his relationships brings to the plot is worth watching. Stay tuned, guys, for the movie and expect to see me on there as well.

We have already been nominated in a number of awards in Zimbabwe,Kenya and South Africa. It was also streamed at Real Time Festival 2016. I am really excited about this and I believe this will not be a mere movie but it will surely make an impact in people’s lives; especially young men in a community such as ours, that would always try it’s best to hush on issues such as this.

Keep subscribing to my blog,liking and following my social media handles to stay updated. Love you and God bless you for the support.